Getting Out Of Reverse
by Radiorox
Summary: Harm and Mac survive a car accident only to find that they are stuck, in the middle of nowhere, with no chance of rescue. Shipper story!
1. Accidents Will Happen

**Title: **Getting Out Of Reverse  
**Summary: **Harm and Mac survive a car accident only to find that they are stuck, in the middle of nowhere, with no chance of rescue.  
**AN: **I love La Femme Nikita and was watching some of the episodes when I saw the title – "Getting Out of Reverse" I was like 'wow'! If ever you could label seasons 9 and 10 of JAG in regards to Harm and Mac it was like going in 'reverse.' It was almost as if the latter part of season 7 didn't happen. There was no forward progress just a reverse.

So, I saved the title and when I got the idea of a car accident, the idea of Reverse came back into mind. The first chappie is short but the others will be a bit longer. Don't expect this to be more than 5 chapters long and there will be no sequel. Of course, there will be a shippery ending. ;)

Enjoy!

Jackie

**Chapter 1 – Accidents Will Happen  
****December 28, 2003  
****1920 Local  
****35 miles outside of Cumberland, Maryland**

"Damnit, where the hell are we?" Desperation was slowly starting to creep into Harm's, usually cool, calm and collected demeanor. Undoubtedly lost and struggling to see past a sudden blizzard that blanked the area, it was difficult not to become irate. Hitting a dead end, he put the car in reverse and carefully headed back from where they came. "And what's with this blizzard? Goddamned meteorologists!" He slammed a closed fist into the steering wheel and sighed in frustration. After all, the weather man _had_ mentioned the weather would hold out until next evening. They hadn't even packed appropriate clothing for snowy conditions. "Can you see _anything?_"

Mac peered out of the window, squinting, as if it would make any difference. "No." Had it been another time and place, she would have made a barb at his expense - something about men's inability to ask for directions. However, their current predicament had not been his fault. "How could they put _one_ detour sign and nothing else?" An accident had detoured them around Cumberland and onto back roads that weren't well marked.

They had left Cumberland Correction Institution late in the evening and were to take a mere 130 mile trip to DC, which, under normal conditions, was less than a three hour drive. Cumberland itself was a gorgeous city. Situated amongst the Appalachian Mountains, it boasted a rich American history with the architecture to prove it. Mac had made a mental check to return once she had secured some time off. "I think we're driving in circles."

Harm snorted, "Could be why we passed the same bent tree four times?" Well, maybe it wasn't the _same_ tree. Okay, so it was.

Mac _needed_ to get home that night, as did Harm who were paired against Mattoni and Sturgis on two cases that were linked together. With the evidence that they'd obtained from a civilian at the prison in Cumberland, it was quite possible that one of the cases would be dismissed. At least one of their clients was innocent. "Maybe we should head back to town?"

"I was thinking the same thing. . . I'm hoping Admiral Morris doesn't hate me so much that he won't grant a continuance." He eased the car to stop at what appeared to be some intersection and then looked both ways. "Umm, left or right?"

Mac shrugged. "Can't go wrong when you're always right. . .Admiral Morris will give us the continuance, he actually likes _me_. It's you that he can't stand. What with you blowing several holes through the roof of his courtroom." She chuckled when he threw an exasperated glare her way. "Just easing the tension, Navy."

"Stupid weather." He cursed under his breath and made the right turn. "The Admiral is going to be _pissed_ if we can't get back by tomorrow morning."

"I think he'll be even more pissed if we wind up as two icicles." She was going to interject another comment when something shot in front of the car. "Harm! Look out!" The warning came just in time for the wild animal but it did nothing to stop the succession of events.

"Shit!" Harm yelled as the car swerved to and fro. Piloting skills could only get you so far and with the coat of ice on the road, not even the best driver could keep the car from slipping away from them. "Mac, hold on!" Sounds of screeching breaks echoed in the night. The car slid on the icy pavement before taking a nose dive down a sharp embankment.

"Oh God!" Mac held on tightly to the hand grip above the door and unconsciously shut her eyes as the vehicle sailed into the dense forest. Harm shoved his foot into the breaks as hard as he could, but it did not stop the rate of decent. His eyes went wide when, some forty feet later, a tree stood directly in front of them. "Brace yourself!" He yelled to Mac and tensed his body as he waited for the impact. A loud 'crunch' was the culmination of their unexpected automotive ordeal.


	2. Warm Thoughts

**Thanks for the reviews guys!! The next part won't be for a few days because I won't be home much for the next few days. :) I bought a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and haven't had a chance to go shooting so I'll be hanging out with my cousin who's a cop and teaching me a few shooting techniques. That and I'll have some work to do as well. **

**That said… here's a little shippery goodness. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

**Jackie**

**Chapter 2 – Warm Thoughts  
****December 28, 2003  
****1945 Local  
****35 miles outside of Cumberland, Maryland**

Harm felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. The seatbelt may have prevented him from hitting the steering wheel but, it also managed to cut through his shirt, burning his skin beneath. Mac had been knocked out when her head hit the passenger side window and shattered from the impact.

"Ugh." Reaching down, Harm pressed the seatbelt release button and immediately felt as if he'd been punched in the chest. With the lights from the dash, he was able to spot a rip in his shirt where the seatbelt had cut through. Though it didn't cut his skin, the flesh below was burned and tender. Looking up, he found and turned on the dome light which illuminated the interior of the vehicle. "Mac?"

Her head was draped to the right and as he leaned forward, Harm could see blood trickling down to her uniform. "Mac?"

Harm shifted to the middle of the sedan and released Mac's seatbelt. Carefully, he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook gently. "Hey."

"Harm?. . .Owww." Mac opened one eye carefully and then opened the other. "Did we finally stop?" The decent had happened so quickly and yet, to Mac, it seemed as if they were falling forever. She shut her eyes again and swallowed down the bile that had risen up her throat.

"Yeah, we stopped." He pulled her away from the door and shattered window, settling her in the middle. "Turn your head this way." She did as told and he was able to access the damage – a small cut that ran from the beginning of her hair line and up slightly. Thankfully, it wasn't deep, head wounds just had a habit of bleeding badly. Reaching inside of his pocket, he grabbed a handkerchief and pressed it onto Mac's wound. "You have a cut but, it's not too bad. . .Doesn't look like you'll need stitches."

"Thank God." Mac said softly. Glancing outward she spotted the object that had finally stopped the out of control vehicle. "How far down do you think we are?"

Harm maintained pressure on her wound as he glanced around and out the windows. The snowy drift behind them glowed red from the brake lights and he could discern the tire marks which were slowly disappearing. "I don't know." Glancing behind the seat, he found his coat on the floor. "Keep pressure onto your head, I'm going to jump on back and fish out my cell phone." He did just that and was not surprised to see that it had no signal. "Shit."

"Don't tell me." Mac pleaded knowing full well that they were out of range. "Shut them both off, we need to conserve the battery life, just in case."

"Good idea." That done, he sat back and settled into survival mode. They couldn't very well sit in the car and wait for rescue. It would be morning before they were missed anyway and by then they would likely be two popsicles.

Mac shivered as the first bit of cold bombarded her body. Whatever heat was left in the car was seeping out through the shattered window. It wouldn't be long before their current form of shelter would be nothing more than an icebox. "Could you hand me my coat?" She asked, turning slightly.

Harm handed her the cloth and then leaned forward. "You put it on, I'll keep pressure on the wound" He took over the task, patiently waiting for her to get more comfortable. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Mac waiting for the pounding in her head to stop and Harm planning a way out. This wasn't a plane crash, though. There was no one to evade nor were there any type of survival gadgets to press and send off a beacon. They were screwed. "We can't just sit in here."

"I know. . .Maybe if you can get back to the road you can get a signal?"

Glancing out of the back window Harm saw the embankment and the angle that, at first glance, didn't seem _that _hard to climb. "I'll give it a try. Stay put." He put on his coat, threw open the door and stepped out, instantly shivering when the cold wind managed to find a way inside of clothing. He headed towards the embankment and began to ascend, managing ten feet before the snow came loose beneath and sent him tumbling back down. "Damnit." He cursed and came up on his elbows only to feel a sharp pain against his ribs. On the slide down he'd managed to roll onto a rock, crushing his cell phone from the impact and the device had shoved itself between him and the rock.. The night just wasn't getting any better. "Owww." Absently, he rubbed at the spot where the phone had impaled.

Wind howled ominously and then suddenly stopped, as did the snow. Harm didn't question the reason and used the momentary lapse in weather to better gather his bearings. He glanced up the embankment, frowning at just how far down they had come. There was no way in hell anyone would see them, not without being told where to look. For that matter, even if he'd reached the top, he didn't have a clue where they were or what road he would be standing on. Slowly he stepped towards the car, careful of the snow beneath him and the angle that would surely send him down even further.

Harm rubbed his hands together and blew a warm breath into them. "Think Rabb, think!" His eyes darted around the area, searching for something, anything that could get them out of there without having to hunker down in such bad weather. In the distance, he spotted something; a light that would come and go but never fully disappear. Carefully, he descended, using tree limbs and trunks as a way to steady himself. He trained his eyes on the light, squinting, trying to get a better idea if it was stationary or not.

Inside the car, Mac sat with a hand still pressed onto the wound. The blood flow had slowed down some and she was hoping it would clot soon enough. "I can't believe this." She sighed. Would she and Harm ever stop being magnates for trouble? She wasn't worried, not in the least. No matter what type of trouble they got into, Mac knew that with Harm at her side, they would get out just fine. Whether or not they would come out like icicles was a whole different subject all together.

Through the broken window, she spotted Harm coming up the slope, a victorious grin in place. For some reason, that didn't ease her mind, in fact, her stomach lurched slightly. "What are you grinning about?" She asked through the opening but didn't receive an answer.

No, the man continued walking upwards and then around to the driver's side. He opened the door, popped open the trunk and then disappeared again. "Harm!" Mac's yell only provoked a growing headache. Two minutes later, her door opened up and a hand was reaching in and yanking her out. "What are you doing?"

"It'll be more comfortable in the back seat. I found an emergency kit in the trunk and also some blankets." He helped her out and into the back and then climbed in behind her with his bounty. "Here." He said, draping a thick blanket over her. Carefully, he pulled Mac's hand from the wound and took a good look to find that it really wasn't too bad at all. "I'm going to put some gauze on it and then bandage your head."

At his suggestion, Mac slapped his hand away. "Hell no. . .It's just a small gash, Harm, I don't need to have my head. . ." She paused when he took her hand in his.

The look in his eyes was gentle, caring and it drained all argument from her. "I would feel better if your head was bandaged. For one thing, most of your body heat escapes through your head. For another. . ." He trailed off slightly and took a deep breath. She wasn't going to like this, not at all, not one bit.

"What?" Mac knew _that_ look. He'd sported it on so many occasions when mustering up the courage to tell her something he knew she wouldn't want to hear. "Harm, you're starting to scare me."

Trying to busy himself, Harm reached for the first aid kit and extracted the gauze pads and the bandage. "I can't make it up the embankment. It's too sloped and even if I did, I don't know where the hell we are. It could be late tomorrow before they sent someone out to find us."

"Oh." The news deflated her optimism and suddenly, her argument about the bandage became completely meaningless. She felt a chill up her spine and crossed her arms in order to ward off the cold. "Then why did you seem _relieved_ a few minutes ago?"

Harm motioned for her to lean forward and then started to roll the bandage around her head. "I found a way down. There's these rocks that I can probably use to climb down. . .I saw a light out there, Mac."

Mac's head shot up and a sudden jab of pain from within made her regret such a sharp movement. "Shit." She cursed and shut her eyes tightly.

"Look at me, Mac." With a finger under her chin he turned her head from one side to another, trying to get a good look at her eyes. "I think you might have a concussion."

"Tell me something I don't know." The pounding inside was getting worse as was the want to lean back and nap. "You said something about a light?"

Harm resumed the bandaging, making sure to completely cover the gauze. "In the distance. Out there." His head pointed forward, out the front window. "I don't think it's that far away. . .Maybe about an hours walk from. . ."

"No." She didn't even let him finish. While not as melodramatic as most women she knew, Mac did have her moments. For some reason, she could envision his frozen body laying in the snow, nothing could have saved him. She shook the image away and cringed. "We're sitting right smack in the middle of a blizzard, if you haven't noticed."

"It eased up some." He pointed out only to find that it had resumed again, worse than before.

"Harm, for all you know that light could be miles away." She tried to smack his hands away, but was only met with resistance. "And what if you reach it and there's nothing there?"

"What if there is?" He pulled tight at the last bit of bandage and then searched around for the tape. "You're bleeding and probably have a concussion. . .The last thing I am going to do is sit on my ass knowing that you need help."

She didn't need _that_ much help. She was a Marine, damnit and, "Rescue might come. . ."

"No one knows we're out here." Finishing his task, Harm taped the end of the bandage and then studied his handiwork. "I don't want to leave you alone but, I have to. We don't know how serious the head injury is and if you'll need hospitalization."

"Fine. . .I know I can't stop you anyway." She tried to turn away but his fingers on her skin stilled the movement. Out of their own volition, her eyes locked on his and feelings that she thought were long gone fluttered to the surface. The last eight months had been quite the rollercoaster ride.

Singer's death. Harm's incarceration. Paraguay. Each moment seemed to mar their relationship and strip away the pieces of something that, at one time, had been a fabric of her life. A year ago, things were moving in the right direction, or so she thought.

The taint that her relationship with Mic had left was long gone and she and Harm were tentatively reaching what she thought was a mutual goal. They were closer then, much more than ever. Each waiting for that one moment when the nature of the relationship would take its natural conclusion.

Then the rollercoaster reached the apex and headed down, down, down, they had yet to reach the bottom. Maybe they were just destined to fall out of control. _'Things are never going to work out between us.'_ She hadn't meant those words, not really. There was no rhyme or reason but an oppressive need to make him react. Harm fought her like no one else would and yet, he never seemed to fight _for_ her. In retrospect, she figured the comment was subconscious subterfuge and a way to distance herself of the emotions for a man that didn't love her.

She didn't want to feel for him anymore and cursed how a certain look or, in this case, a touch sent her senses into overload. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Mac was still, very much, in love with him. _Never. . ._ Who was she kidding? Whether or not a romantic relationship was meant to happen between the two of them, Harm would always be a part of her life, just as much as she was a part of his.

Mac's eyes had always been his undoing. Beneath her tough veneer, there was a woman that he couldn't seem to leave behind entirely and damn did he try. Harm sucked in a deep breath. It had been so damned long since he'd let his guard down around her. There had been no reason to after she'd obliterated his heart at a certain taxi stand, thousands of miles away. Paraguay had left him feeling like a fool and a failure. What kind of hero saved the day but didn't get the girl? It had all left such a void in his heart.

To top it off, she'd moved on without him and into the arms of Clayton Webb. News of the relationship had shocked him, to say the least. Once he believed that they held a common disdain for the agent and now he didn't know what to think of Mac's involvement with the spook. Obviously she was suffering from some sort of shock – Stockholm's Syndrome.

Maybe if she'd gone to someone else he'd be able to accept it better. Out of everyone in this world, why Clayton Webb? He had yet to figure it out.

He licked his lips to moisten them only to notice her eyes trained on such a simple action. The look she wore was that of a woman wanting to be kissed. But, she wasn't his and he wouldn't make _that_ mistake again. Harm wouldn't destroy another one of her relationships. "I found a foil emergency blanket thingy. . .I'll use the gauze tape to secure it over the window. . .It may help keep the cold out." He rambled off and then reached for another piece of gauze which he used to wipe some of the blood from her face. "Webb must be worried sick." He couldn't help the comment and instantly wished that he'd never uttered it.

Harm didn't want her to know how much their relationship hurt him and yet, he couldn't help but continue to ramble. "I'll make sure you get back to him in one piece."

As his words set in, Mac fought the urge to cry. His words stung, though she didn't quite know why. Wasn't this what she wanted? To keep him away by making him _believe_ that she was with another? What the hell was she thinking? "Webb and I. . ."

Groaning, he moved away from her, settling his head against the back of the seat. He didn't want to hear it, didn't want her to verbalize what he feared the most. As long as she didn't confirm the seriousness of their involvement, Harm could convince himself that it wasn't serious – just a fling or a few 'dates' between friends. "Mac, you don't have to explain."

"There is no Webb and I." The words came out rushed and she felt the need to clarify. He had to know the truth, she owed him that much. "We tried. . .Well, _he_ tried but, there was nothing there past a terrifyingly shared experience. . . Nothing more."

Harm let out a breath that he was holding but didn't turn to look at her for fear that he would see a lie in her eyes. _Dates_. They'd been on multiple dates. In fact, she'd thrown that word around so much that the irrational side of his brain was already conjuring up images of Mac and Webb searching for the perfect China pattern. "What? . . Christmas Eve, you said. . ."

"I wanted you to spend the night with Mattie. You deserved that and she deserved to see just how much you really cared for her. . .Didn't wanna be the third wheel."

"And you knew that using Webb against me would work?" He'd almost followed her home. Almost _insisted_ that she join him and Mattie. Part of that was for selfish reasons – he knew nothing about teenaged girls and hoped that Mac would lend him a hand. The other part just _needed_ her. As much as he'd hated the holidays, with Mac, he'd been willing to celebrate them again.

"Something like that." She frowned, unwilling to conjure up images of herself, alone, on Christmas. "I spent Christmas alone. . .It was almost therapeutic. . . Webb had called me over for a Christmas party; I declined."

"Clay's not a bad guy." Harm found himself suddenly rooting for the spook. Whatever his feelings were for the spy, something inside of him knew that Clay genuinely cared for Mac. His ire was spun from jealousy and the fear of moving forward with something he wanted so badly. "He cares for you." All he wanted was for Mac to be safe, protected and happy. Things that he obviously couldn't give her. Things that she obviously didn't want from him.

Mac sighed. Why did he always have to make things so difficult? "No, he isn't a bad guy. And yes, he does care for me." Perhaps a relationship with Webb _would_ have worked out if Mac didn't know that, subconsciously every relationship was destined to fail until she found the one person she was meant to be with. And he had been found, years ago, dangling from a Huey, when her uncle decided to steal the Declaration of Independence. "I can't be with Webb knowing that I'm in love with someone else. . .I won't lie to myself again."

She loved someone else? He couldn't help but hope that it was him she loved. It was all that they had left - hope that the magical spell between them was more than just a physical attraction. "Who are you in love with?" How he hoped that she felt for him what he felt for her. Harm settled his eyes on hers and waited on baited breath for an answer.

"You have to ask?" She asked, surprised. Didn't he know? Mac brought her hand out from under the blanket and placed a cool palm on the side of his face. "You, Harm. I'm in love with you." His response wasn't quite what she expected but it was more welcome than anything on Earth. His lips hit hers with such a force, strong, demanding and sealing the feelings that had moved between them for years. Mac felt claimed and didn't mind it one bit. She kissed back with fervor, leaning into his body, seeking more of him.

"I love you too, Sarah." He said breathlessly and then rested his forehead against her own. This wasn't the time for an exploration of their unique relationship and yet, he couldn't help himself. Their lips met again, this time leaving a lingering kiss. "Our timing really, really sucks." Grabbing the gauze tape and emergency blanket, he hoped out of the car and secured the material around the outside of the broken window. He hoped it would keep some of the cold out but knew it wouldn't nearly be enough. "I don't have to tell you to stay put, do I?" There was a teasing in his voice, that didn't quite sound believable.

The sadness in her eyes physically hurt him. "Be careful out there, please."

Harm smiled. "I will. . .Just think warm thoughts. I'll be back before you know it." Unable to help himself, Harm leaned in and kissed her again, melodramatically hoping that it wouldn't be the last time. "Warm thoughts, Marine. Warm thoughts." He tucked the blanket tight around her and, before she knew it, he was gone.


	3. Danger

**Okay, so this WAS gonna be 5 chappies but one of the chapters was so tiny that it wasn't even close to being a chappie, so we'll be done with one more. ;) You guys on the JAG Angst Anon list will be lucky to get a "interesting" version. ;) It should be up, at the latest on Sunday. I need to work out the kinks.**

**Enjoy!**

**Jackie**

Chapter 3 - Danger

Harm had only been trekking for ten minutes but already he was regretting the move. The wind was whipping branches and dead leaves at him and cold air was seeping under his clothing. Perhaps, if he had a proper jacket, it would not have been so bad. Hiking through the forest in a suit and dress shoes was not an easy task. He kept slipping, using tree branches to steady himself.

Stopping momentarily, he looked back, barely seeing the lights from the car up on the hill. Turning the opposite way, he spotted the light he'd seen earlier, the beacon he was following. It was still there, shining in the distance and it hadn't moved. He hoped that his decision would not be a fatal one. With a huff, he yanked a down branch from a tree and used it as walking stick.

As he headed through the trees, Harm couldn't help but think about that kiss. It was absolutely amazing.

Stunning.

"She loves me." He said out loud as he hoped off to the side and kept moving towards the light. Despite the cold, a sudden sense of warmth flooded him. Harm couldn't help but wonder what Mac was thinking at that particular moment. She had to be thinking of him and that kiss and what would happen once they reunited again. The thought made a sly smirk appear on his face. He should have kissed her senseless in Paraguay, stamped his heroic pursuit of her and made sure that their lives, as well as their relationship, was still intact. He should have done a lot of things, he decided.

A quarter of a mile away, Mac yelled out noting, with annoyance, that the lights had started to dim. "Well, isn't this great!" The thought of sitting alone in the dark wasn't appealing. Especially with the thoughts of certain animals that tended to stalk through the forests at night. Furthermore, she was unarmed, injured, pissed off and turned on all at the same time. _Turned on?_ Yup, as much as she would have liked to dismiss the feelings she had inside, Harm's kiss had turned her on like no one's business.

She drummed her fingers against the back of the front seat and tried to calm her raging emotions. "The kiss wasn't even that good! . . .Oh, who am I kidding?" It _had_ been _that_ good and made all of that waiting seem like a good idea. She couldn't help but wonder just how good his kisses would be if and when. . . "Ugh!" Damnit, the man wasn't even near her and she was already turning into mush.

Mac needed to do something and waiting around was starting to annoy her greatly. "I know you told me to wait but. . ." Woman on a mission, she threw the blanket off of her, opened the door and stumbled out into the cold, snowy night. Shivering, Mac chanced moving towards the embankment curious if she'd be able to make it up in high heels. She was a Marine and some stupid hill wasn't going to stop her from getting out of there. Her head wasn't in the mood to cooperate.

It protested at the first moment of exertion and nearly doubled her over as the throbbing increased. She brought her hands up to her head, squeezing in hopes that the pressure would ease the pain. Unable to stop her body, Mac fell to her knees as the pain worsened. "Please stop. . .please." Her world was spinning like a top, going round and round as the darkness lingered around the edges. "I'm not gonna pass out. . .I'm _not_ gonna pass out."

God, what had she done? Why hadn't she listened? Defeated, Mac rolled to her back, letting out a shaky breath. She closed her eyes but tried to maintain awake. She couldn't go to sleep, that didn't bode well if she had a concussion. "_If?_" Mac suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over at all of the teasing at Harm's accidents. More over, she felt guilty about Paraguay and how she'd left him rather than wait and make sure he wasn't badly injured.

He had a concussion then, she figured, but her own pride had only made her angry and snippy. Now she figured that karma was biting her in the ass for not being more sensitive. Willing her eyes to open, Mac stared up watching the snow as it drifted down on her. "I can't pass out." Her body had a different idea. . .

In the forest, Harm came to a stop next to a large tree. His lungs were aching, protesting from the constant intake of cold air. The light ahead hadn't moved but only seemed to grow with each step he took. He hoped it was a home, a hotel, some sort of building inhabited by another human, preferably with a working phone. From his spot, he could no longer see the lights from the car and wondered if the battery had died or if he'd really trekked that far into the wilderness.

A deep sense of guilt settled into the pit of his stomach. He shouldn't have left Mac behind, that just wasn't done when it came to survival. True, rescue wasn't imminent, no one knew where they were and a possible concussion on her part wasn't conductive to the physical exertion required to hike through the woods to safety. Still, he could have stayed behind and was now second guessing his decision to leave her.

With a huff, he set out again, determined to find the help they needed to get out of the frozen wilderness. He reminded himself that Mac was a Marine and, as such, was the only women he knew that was one hundred percent capable of surviving anything. "C'mon Rabb."

As he pushed passed a thick pine tree, Harm heard a noise that had stopped him dead in his tracks. It was growl, low, vibrating and menacing. It came from his right, behind a thatch of green that obscured whatever animal was warning him. Slowly, he brought the stick he was holding up to the level of his chest hoping he'd have at least one shot should he have to prevent an attack. He swallowed down the lump at his throat and carefully set forward again only to stop when a pair of luminescent eyes settled on him.

Harm's body shivered not from the cold but from fear as the one growl turned into a series. Luminescent eyes appeared from three spots just ahead of him. He only hoped he wasn't surrounded. Slowly, he bent down, taking another stick into his free hand. The wolves moved forward, carefully keeping the distance between the intruder and themselves. There were three of them, Harm noted, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach. "Shit." He whispered as he straightened his spine, hoping that his full height would, somehow, ward off the animals.

One of the wolves, the leader of the pack, he surmised, moved forward. The animal's teeth gleamed in the moonlight as his cool, black eyes remained fixated on Harm. The animal lunged forward and pulled back when Harm swiped at it with the twig in his right hand. Fighting the urge to run, he decided to move forward, cutting the air with both pieces of wood in his hands.

For a moment, it worked and with a blind shot, Harm managed to take a swipe at one of the animals, sending it scurrying away with a whimper. The other two animals remained steadily growling until one lunged. Swinging and missing, the wolf's paws hit Harm's chest squarely, the forward movement sending him backwards. Tripping over a stump, Harm came to his knees losing both of the sticks he was holding.

"No!" He yelled, as he raised his head to find one of the animals lunging at him again.

Harm grabbed for the animal's neck trying to keep its mouth away from his neck. Wrestling with the beast was a Herculean task and Harm found himself wincing each time the wolf's nails scraped through fabric and onto his skin. A loud yell echoed in the woods as the animal bit through the skin of his shoulder. . .

Mac felt her body shake and sensed a warm hand on her shoulder. As her eyes opened she found a man standing over her with a concerned look on his face.

"Harm?" Her head had ceased pounding and she noticed with confusion that a bright light from above was illuminating the area around the car. "What's going on?"

The man helped her sit up and then took a blanket and wrapped it around her. "I saw your car go over the side, so I went home and grabbed my tow truck. . .Almost didn't find the place."

Mac glanced upwards spotting the lights of what must be the man's tow truck. Turning away, she looked out into the wilderness and frowned. "I was with someone. . .He. . .he decided to walk of into he woods, said he saw a light."

"The only thing out that way is Hudson's Lodge. It's a large wooden cabin on a lake. . .I can take you that way, my father's the owner. . . My name's Kyle Hudson, by the way."

"Sarah MacKenzie." She rubbed her head and frowned. The headache was starting up again.

"Can you walk?" Mac nodded and slowly, with Kyle's help, came to her feet. "C'mon ma'am, let's get you to the lodge and warmed up. Mom used to be a doctor, she can take a look at that head wound for you."

Filled with an overwhelming sense of relief Mac allowed Kyle to help her up the embankment with the use of a tow rope that was attached to his truck. Once inside the warmth of the truck cab, Mac glanced downward to see the lights of the car finally give out. She wasn't sure why, but a particularly sickening feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Harm was still out there and he was in trouble, she could tell. The urge to race down the embankment and to his rescue was almost overwhelming but, she knew, that the injury to her head wouldn't allow her to be of much help to him. "I need to get a search party out to find my. . .my . ."

What was he to her?

What did he want to be?

Friend? Boyfriend? Lover?

Husband?

She quivered at the thought of being married to Harm, the one desire in her life that she thought would never be fulfilled. Mac knew it would be an uphill battle of wills between the two of them. The amount of emotional baggage that they carried wasn't easy to toss aside. Yet, there was something to declaring their love for each other that seemed to lift an unbearable weight. "He's my everything. . .I need to find him." She said and sent a silent prayer that the heavy feeling inside didn't mean that Harm was hurt.


	4. Warmth

FINALLY!! This chapter just WOULD NOT get written!! At one point I finished it and deleted the file because I thought I had a copy. Shheeeeeeeeeeesh!!

Anyone says the word sequel and I will hunt you down.. NO SEQUEL.

All of these stories are gonna be up on my webpage, whenever that gets finished. I am pretty much gonna start with the FF section and the work the rest when I have a chance. I think that is most important anyway. ;) And the page will be in white so it's easy to read. ;)

Okay so... enjoy!

Jackie

**Chapter 4 – Warmth**

"Here you go, miss." Kyle Hudson Senior and his wife Martha, had owned Hudson lodge for a little over thirty years. Originally owned by a wealthy family and left abandoned, the Hudson's bought the and turned the lodge into a bed and breakfast.

Carefully, Mac took the steaming cup of tea that was offered. "Thank you so much." She took a sip, savoring the warmth as it spread through her body.

"I fixed up room three, you are welcomed to stay here as long as needed." Martha handed Mac the key and smiled. "Get some rest, dear."

"What about my head?"

Martha took a look at Mac's eyes again, satisfied that the injury did not cause anything more than a very mild concussion. "The laceration isn't deep, that will heal in a few days. . .as for the concussion, it's not very serious. I say with some sleep you'll be fine. Get going, Kyle's making his famous chicken noodle soup. . .I'll bring some up once it's done." She helped Mac get to her feet and followed the younger woman up the steps, confident that things would be fine. "Do you think Junior will find her friend?"

Kyle Senior wasn't anything if not a positive and confident man. "I have a feeling that Sarah's friend will find his way to her.". . .

. . . In the wilderness, Harm was struggling. He'd always prided himself in pushing his body to the absolute limit and then pushing a bit more. This time, he was about to shut down. The wolf attack had left the skin at his shoulder and forearms painfully marred. Only a surprisingly well landed punch had the animal scampering away. The attack had made his trek a near impossibility. Every rustle of leaves and even the crunch of his own feet in the snow seemed to attack his nervous system. He was waiting for the pack to find him an attack again.

To make matters worse, he was walking blindly. The light he was following seemed to disappear entirely. A similarity in the terrain didn't quite help. At one point Harm believed he was walking in circles. That was until he heard what sounded like a car coming to life. Following the sound, he came upon the lodge. "Wait! Wait!" He yelled at the driver, trying to get his sore body to move fast enough in the snow to catch up. The driver didn't hear him and Harm was left to face the possibility of the lodge being empty. "I'll break in." He thought out loud, recalling that Mac was still out there needing his help.

He was surprised to find the door open. "Hello?" He peaked passed the open door to find an older man moving towards him. "Oh thank God." He resisted the urge to drop to his knees in thanks. "I'm sorry to barge in. . .My name is Harm, I'm an officer for the US Navy. . .My partner and I were in an car accident. . .I think she has a concussion. . .she needs. . ."

"Sarah's here." Kyle Sr. interrupted waving off Harm's attempt at an explanation. "My son saw you two go over and rushed back here to grab the tow truck." He patted Harm on the back and led him towards the living room where equally comfortable arm chairs sat in front of fireplace.

Harm wasn't sure if he understood. In this day and age it was difficult to trust a mere stranger and yet, how could the man know Mac's real name if? "She's here? Sarah. . .Sarah MacKenzie is here?"

"The pretty Marine Colonel, yes." He looked Harm over, noticing the heavy scratching at his uniform's arms as well as the blood that marked the collar of his shirt. "Martha!" Kyle yelled for his wife and then instructed her to bring the first aid kit. "What happened out there?"

"Wolf attack." Carefully, Harm pulled off his coat and sports jacket. Blood marked the shoulders and forearms of his formerly crisp white shirt. The epaulet on the right side was shredded, barely hanging on. "I need to see her." He tried to stand up but Kyle settled him back down.

"My wife used to be a doctor. . .I think it would be best if she checks out those marks."

"You don't understand; I think she has a concussion."

Martha chose this moment to step back into the picture, first aid kit in hand. "Sarah's fine. . .It's not a serious head injury. You on the other hand. . ." She trailed off, frowning at the blood patches on his shirt. "We need to make sure you don't get an infection from those bites."

With a sigh, Harm gave up the fight and allowed the couple to tend to his wounds without making a fuss about it. He was happy to be somewhere safe and after he saw Mac, he could finally relax and, hopefully, forget all that had happened. Once Martha was done, he was given the spare key to room three and assured that food would be sent up soon.

Inside the room itself, Harm did not find Mac, but the signs of her presence were there. Her uniform was folded neatly and placed the top of a small table, her coat thrown over the back of the chair. About to call her name, he stopped as the sounds of running water caught his attention.

It wasn't difficult to remember a day dream he had, Mac clothed in nothing but a small blue towel and droplets of water. Better still, her naked body covered in nothing but bubbles from her bath. Any way he thought of it, Mac looked damn good when she was wet.

A rush of air came out of his lungs as Harm let out the breath he was holding. He was either going to really rock the boat or keep in play what they set into motion that evening with a kiss. What was left of his coat Harm dropped onto a chair along with his jacket and tie. He toed off his shoes and nearly stumbled trying to remove his socks as he walked towards the bathroom. Next came his belt, all items leaving a trail to his destination.

The door was open, saving Harm the need to make the decision to knock or not to. The bathroom light cast her shadow against the shower curtain, the temptation laying in wait. He'd always been attracted to her, but chose duty over desire. As much as he hated seeing Mac with someone else, Harm was never sure that it would work out until he felt the fear of losing her. A few minutes more and it was likely that she would have been Sadiq's most prized victim in his compound of torture. He'd saved her but the prize wasn't his to get. Then again, maybe his usual insecurities breathed to life along with their banter. It did hurt his pride to watch Mac kiss Webb no matter what the reason for the kiss was. Somehow, no matter who came between, it always ended up the same way, with just the two of them left. Maybe that is how it should have been from the beginning.

Quickly, Harm stripped out of the rest of his clothing, pulled back the curtain and slipped into the shower. "Harm." He'd startled her at first, but the overwhelming sense of joy eased any awkwardness of seeing him standing naked in front of her. She didn't have much of a chance to react as his mouth fastened to hers. He kissed her hard, passionately, as if he hadn't seen her in years.

Mac had no reason to push him away, something that she'd been doing for over a year. No, this time she held tight and kissed him back with fervor. She pulled him to her and under the warm stream of water. He winced as she ran her hands over his torn flesh causing her to pull away and study him carefully. "What happened to you?" Carefully, she ran her fingers over the mauled skin at his shoulder.

"A wolf. . . I still don't know how I made it here." Harm's body shivered as Mac's hands gingerly caressed the marks on his chest from the seat belt and then moved out to the scratches on his arms.

"I'm sorry you went through this." She leaned forward, pressing her lips against the marks on his chest.

Harm pulled her to him, molding her body against his own in a fierce hug. They'd been in more precarious situations and yet, he felt almost the way he did once he learned about Mac's mission to Paraguay. "I'm so glad you're alright, Mac."

When he pulled away, Mac studied his expression and the beauty of his eyes that she tried so hard not to drown in. Now, she wanted to drown. Harm leaned in and kissed her slowly, searchingly, as if he wanted to unravel every last mystery of Sarah MacKenzie. Harm was sure he never wanted a woman more in his life and, from the way she was caressing his body, it was obvious that her desire was just as strong. "I want you." She whispered in a voice that Harm had only heard in dreams.

The hard planes of his body felt exquisite as their bodies fit perfectly together. "I want you too." Harm pushed her back against the tiles. His knee slipped between Mac's legs, bringing their bodies even more closely. Her mouth came to the torn flesh of his shoulder where Mac kissed softly. She trailed those kisses upwards to his neck where she nibbled slightly. "Oh, Mac."

Feeling him touch her so intimately was almost surreal. She'd longed for his touch for so long, to the point that she'd given up hope. Pushing him away had been the most difficult endeavor but, she'd been so broken that it was her turn not to be ready. "You're so beautiful, Mac

She pulled his hair gently, enough to urge his mouth back on hers. Mac's fingers trailed over the tip of him causing his body to shudder. She smothered a smile with a series of kisses before pulling him closer to her. "I want you."

Harm held Mac against the tiled walls, loving her body with his until exhaustion nearly claimed them both. His body leaned heavily against her, thankful of the shower wall that was probably the only thing still holding the both up. His lips sought out the curve of her neck which he kissed lovingly. "Sorry. . .I really wanted that to last longer."

Gently, lovingly, Mac ran a hand up and down his back. "Nothing to be sorry about. . .I knew our first time wouldn't last but it was explosive."

Much later and only because her head was starting to ache again, Harm and Mac lay together in a large, comfortable, king sized bed. The Hudson's had brought them each a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup, tea and crackers. Kyle junior had loaned them each a pair of sweats. "Yes sir. . .I agree. . . of course." Harm was speaking into Mac's cellphone, relaying the information of their accident to Admiral Chegwidden. "I'll make sure the Colonel gets _plenty_ of bed rest." His innuendo earned Harm a hard punch to his bicep. "Aye, sir and thank you." He snapped closed Mac's phone and placed it on the nightstand next to him.

"Considering I didn't hear any yelling, I say he took it well?" Though a little downtime to recuperate was certainly needed, they still had a job to do and a judge to face who didn't particularly like her newly acquired boyfriend.

Harm shrugged, "I honestly think he's beginning to mellow out."

"Up and coming nuptials will do that to you."

At her comment, Harm couldn't help but think of what a marriage between the two of them would be like. Definitely unconventional but, he was sure they would enjoy every moment of it. "So, I guess we have a couple of days off. . .Kyle said that it was supposed to snow pretty badly for the next couple of days." He slipped next to Mac, pulling her body closer to his. "Chegwidden mentioned that I should take care of you." Leaning forward, he brushed his lips gently over Mac's as his hand trailed over her hip.

"We wouldn't want to upset the Admiral, would we?" She pulled him down, holding Harm tightly as they kissed. Who would have thought that a rather precarious situation would lead to something good? "I _really_ do love you, you know?"

Harm's smile spread widely, he was genuinely thrilled that she did. God knew he'd loved her for so long, too long. He was glad he didn't give up. "I love you, too, Sarah. . .No matter what, I don't want to lose you. . .And I don't want to go through this animosity again."

"Deal." Mac pressed a palm to his cheek, enjoying a shift in their relationship she was sure they'd never attain. Fate had a way of kicking things into place. Or, in their case, crashing things into place. Mac was going to mention that she still had a bit of a headache, when his hand slipped under her sweats and over naked flesh. She could always rest another day. For now, it was time to divulge in a discovery of a relationship that was long over do.

THE END.


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